DHA-enriched re-esterified triacylglycerol fish oil supplementation and oily fish consumption enhance red blood n-3 fatty acid index in Omani pre-adolescent schoolchildren

摘要

Dietary habits of Omani population particularly of children and young adults have changed significantly. Consumption of imported calorie-dense foods, vegetable oils, milled and polished grains and carbonated beverages have become the norm. Concomitantly, there has been an exponential increase in the prevalence of non-communicable diseases. The impact of the westernisation of eating habits on children has not been evaluated. We have investigated blood fatty acid profile of male (n?=?125) and female (n?=?160) children aged 9 and 10 (9.8?±?0.4) years enrolled from three state-funded schools. The schools, which are homogenous with respect to socio-economic background of their pupils, were randomised into fish oil (n?=?98), oily fish (n?=?82) or control (n?=?105) group. Subsequently, the children were given during morning tea break for 12 weeks: 1. DHA-enriched re-esterified triacylglycerol fish oil capsule with cheese/salad sandwich (fish oil group), 2. Lightly grilled oily fish with salad (fish group) or 3. Cheese/salad sandwich (control group). At baseline, the males had higher myristic, palmitic and oleic and lower adrenic acids than the females (p? ?0.05) or AA (14.6?±?1.9 vs. 14.9?±?1.8,p?>?0.05) between the genders. There was no difference in any of the fatty acids between the three groups at baseline. Post-intervention, the oily fish group had lower n-3 fatty acid index (EPA?+?DHA, 6.03?±?1.39 vs. 6.60?±?1.63,p?